Ok, as people seemed to like this series, I had to continue it. I have to say that I am extremely surprised… it only started off as a little crack fic! Ok, so this is part three of what I have mentally called the Aestibus series (Latin for Changing Tides) and I hope you like it!
Warning: Language, mentions of insanity,
Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K
From Graveyard to Wizengamot;
Sirius floo'd to the ministry first followed by Harry, Tonks had gone on ahead so she could be ready for when Amelia came out and began organising the aurors.
"Amelia backed us for the meeting, she was in the stands when you came back and Augusta agreed because Neville told her too. He can be quite fierce when he wants to be." Sirius told him, "Xeno went with it and Amos agreed because his son came back with you and said you saved his life." The atrium was quite busy and Harry spotted many other Lords and Ladies heading towards the lifts, one that specifically caught his eye was Lucius Malfoy and Harry bit back a snarl. Sirius sensed his anger and followed his eye,
"Don't worry, Pup, he'll get his own." Sirius murmured, sending the Malfoy Lord a poisonous look.
"I'm quite upset that his shiny blond hair is no longer charred, I caught the bastard with an Incendio." Harry grumbled and Sirius snickered.
"Malfoy has always been a peacock, he was probably more alarmed with his hair than the burns." Sirius said and Harry grinned,
"He passed it along to his son too."
They walked quickly through the ministry and down to the courtrooms where the meetings were held, some other Lords and Ladies were already there wondering what could have happened, if Harry was correct then the last emergency wizengamot meeting was in 81 when Voldemort was defeated by himself.
"They are all confused," Sirius noted, his voice quite as not to travel farther than the pair of them and Harry nodded,
"Good, I've been working things out and if this goes right then we have a lot to do and little time." Harry said.
"What have you got planned in that devious mind of yours?" His godfather questioned, somewhat amused and Harry smirked.
"That would be telling now wouldn't it, Padfoot."
"Remember what we have gone through." Sirius said to him, "We've worked on your position for months. You are Harry James Potter-Black, Lord Potter, Heir Black, the Boy-Who-Lived and my son. This is your meeting, show them that you are as every bit the Lord as those in there." Harry felt himself warm to his godfather- his father's words and nodded firmly.
"I've got this."
Everyone filed in to the court room and took their designated seats, the Chief Warlock and the Minister were the last to enter and Dumbledore took to the podium.
"Emergency Wizengamot session 811, called on the 25th June 1995 at 12:30. Chief Warlock Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Minister for Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Selected guest Head of the Department of Mysteries Unspeakable Bode, Wizengamot scribe Emily Dillis." Dumbledore began the session, his voice ringing out and silencing the crowd. "Called to order by Lord Harry Potter, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient house of Potter, Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
"Backed by Lord Sirius Black, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom, Proxy Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom, Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient house of Bones, Lord Xenophilias Lovegood, Head of the Ancient House of Lovegood and Lord Amos Diggory Head of the Ancient House of Diggory. Against the session Lord Lucius Malfoy Head of the Noble and most Ancient House of Malfoy, Lord Izar Nott Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Nott, Lord Gilbert Goyle Head of the Noble house of Goyle and Lord Cuthbert Crabbe Head of the Noble house of Crabbe. Favour goes to Lord Potter through higher vote, Lord Potter to commence with the session." Dumbledore called to the room and Harry took vicious pleasure in the paling of the Death Eater scum.
He gracefully rose from his seat to walk down to the centre of the room. He mentally went over every bit of customs that Sirius and Remus had drilled in to his mind as he went, he was putting everything in to perspective and working his plan around them; he could do this.
"Thank you Chief Warlock and those who placed their trust in me," He said in a clear voice with a bow of acknowledgement towards Dumbledore.
"Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, I called this meeting today for a matter of great importance," He began amplifying his voice to carry, "My petition; I wish to prepare the ministry for war." This caused a massive outbreak of speech, and Harry held up his hand for silence.
"Last night as many of you already know, myself and fellow Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory were transported away via Portkey from the safety of Hogwarts grounds."
Mutters went through the room for those who didn't know the happenings of last night and Harry waited patiently for them to fall silent, he would have thought the information would have been around to everyone by now and he was surprised to see quite a few surprised faces within the room.
"Before I go on, I would like this room to acknowledge that I am here for a full session, complying with oath, Veritaserum and pencieve memories which will be authenticated by unspeakable Bode."
The unspeakable in the shadows nodded and more whispers broke out, everyone, those who didn't know that was, wanted to know what was so important that it called for all three. Two green lights lit up signalling questions,
"The Wizengamot recognises Madam Amelia Bones." Dumbledore stated, Amelia stood to face him.
"Lord Potter, is the assistance of aurors required?" She inquired, her voice calm but with an underlying layer if steel. Harry smiled a bit at her instinct, it was why she had made a brilliant auror and an even better head of the DMLE.
"I believe so, Madam Bones," Harry said, she nodded and flicked her wand sending out a patronus message.
"The Wizengamot recognises the summons of aurors by Madam Bones, now recognising Minister Fudge."
"Lord Potter, will the proceedings of this session need to be published or do you wish to seal the room?"
Harry was honestly surprised that Fudge showed the initiative to suggest that, but then the man must have felt how serious it was.
"I think a seal of silence is in order."
"Lord Potter wishes to call in a seal of silence, those in favour?" Dumbledore questioned, nearly all of the lights went blue in acceptance, only the Death Eaters shone red.
"Motion carried,"
everyone could feel the ancient wards flare and Harry grinned knowing no one could speak or communicate in anyway about what transpired in the session until he gave the go ahead, also no one could leave until he, Harry, had called the session to a close.
"Lord Potter, the floor is yours once more."
"Thank you," He nodded, "Now what I am about to say is highly unbelievable and I know many will be sceptical however, this is why I am calling all methods of truth in to play and I am willing to submit to Veritaserum questioning after my explanation and an oath of honesty." Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself. "On the night of the tri-wizard final when we were transported away we were taken to a grave yard in the muggle town of Little Hangleton where I bore witness to the rebirth of Lord Voldemort." Many flinched at the name and then the hall burst in to furious speech, many were screaming their denial and their fear, of course those who had enough sense to realise Harry had called all methods of truth to the session were exchanging words about what would be the outcome of the session.
"ORDER," Dumbledore roared his voice cracking through the room and his magic flowing a little, everyone settled in to silence immediately and Harry gave those who were either glaring at him or looking at him in fear a look of barely hidden disdain.
"Continue, Lord Potter,"
"As many of you are clearly sceptical." He bit back a sneer, "I would now like to give my oath, I Harry James Potter-Black, do here by swear upon my magic and my life that everything I state within this session today is the truth as I saw witness to it and the truth as I know it. So mote be it." there was a near blinding flash of light before it settled.
"Lumos," his wand tip ignited showing he was in fact telling the truth and he had saw Voldemort be reborn. Silence, thick and uncompromising silence echoed within the wizengamot hall as they digested what had been revealed.
"I would now like to show my memories of the night as evidence to my claim." Harry said.
"Lord Potter wishes to present his memories for viewing within the Wizengamot pencieve," Dumbledore called, "All in favour?" again all but the death eaters lit up blue.
"Motion carried, the wizengamot recognises unspeakable Bode, unspeakable Bode if you will." Bode strode forward with a pencieve and placed it hovering in front oh Harry, the unspeakable placed the tip of his wand against the teens temple and Harry brought the night to the front of his mind before nodding. The memory was withdrawn and Bode placed it in a phial casting spells to authenticate the memory.
"The memory has not been tampered with," Bode told them all and poured it in to the pencieve, he tapped his wand and the picture blew up so it could be viewed by everyone and Harry took a seat to the side on the main floor. It began with him and Cedric agreeing with a victory for Hogwarts together and then the Portkey, it showed the graveyard and many gasped when the killing curse went towards Cedric, Amos Diggory looked like he was about to keel over himself before they saw how Harry summoned the gravestone just in time.
They watched as Harry was dragged to the stone and they saw the ritual be performed before Voldemort rose again, there was gasps and cries as they laid eyes on the monster. There were many snarls and growls when the Death Eaters were called and revealed Harry shot a smug, gloating look towards Malfoy and Nott who were looking decidedly pale. The looks of disbelief and horror when the memory Harry decided to taunt the Voldemort were quite amusing, and when he mentioned the gold star there were a few chuckles at his audacity. Harry kept his face blank through the entire thing, he remembered the fear he had felt, but he also remembered the acceptance of death the need to keep fighting, to go out strong.
Many winced when Harry kicked him in the groin and he even gained a few chuckles for his farewell message as he grabbed the portkey and slammed back in to Hogwart's grounds, the memory came to an end as he woke Cedric up and rolled on to the ground exhausted. Harry refrained from shifting as every single person turned to look at him, many in awe and many in a sort of shocked stupor, Harry stood once again and made his way back to the centre of the room to collect his memory.
"You have all bore witness to the rebirth of Voldemort, please stop flinching, and you have all saw that I took an oath of honesty as well as the memory being authenticated. I now submit myself to Veritaserum questioning,"
"All in favour for voluntary Veritaserum?" Dumbledore asked, even though the Death Eaters knew they were not getting away with this, they still voted against. "Motion passed. Administer the Veritaserum," Bode came forward and Harry willingly accepted the potion.
"As Chief of the Wizengamot I elect Madam Bones for questioning, all in favour?" everyone agreed and Amelia stood.
"Please state your name."
"Harry James Potter-Black," Harry answered in a monotone,
"What is your date of birth?"
"31st of July, 1980."
"The potion has taken effect." Dumbledore stated.
"Lord Potter, did you witness the rebirth of You-Know-Who?"
"I don't know who." Harry replied with the usual Veritaserum tone of voice illustrating he was still under the effects despite his sassy answer, up in the stands Sirius had to muffle his snickers as the wizengamot seemed to blink in shock. Amelia Bones' lips twitched in amusement before she spoke again,
"Lord Potter, did you bare witness to the rebirth of The Dark Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes,"
Even though they had seen the memory people still gasped, Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Did you recognise any in attendance?"
"Yes."
"Can you state their names?"
"Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, Izar Nott, Gilbert Goyle, Cuthbert Crabbe, Walden McNair, Tom Riddle also known as Lord Voldemort."
BOOM!
The room exploded and those accused were bound by aurors before they could protest, the Lords and Ladies were going crazy, Malfoy and Nott were some of the highest people in the ministry.
"ORDER," Dumbledore called them to a halt again, people went quiet, but they didn't settle.
"Continue with the questioning Madam Bones."
"Are you certain of the names you have stated?"
"Yes,"
"How can you be certain?"
"Voldemort called them by name and removed their masks, I saw their faces as they begged for forgiveness."
More shouts issued as the evidence built.
"You mentioned someone called Tom Riddle also known as Lord Voldemort, can you explain what you meant."
"Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort's real name, he created I am Lord Voldemort as an anagram because he wanted to shed any association with his muggle father whose name he shares." Harry told them, and in the back of his mind he was practically jumping about in glee. This would show all the purebloods who they stood for with all their blood purity, Voldemort, as powerful as he may be, was a halfblood and now they would all know. A shocked silence came after that.
"Voldemort is a halfblood?" Amelia confirmed in disbelief.
"Yes,"
"How do you know?"
"He told he himself, twice,"
"When?"
"The first time was in second year in the chamber of secrets before I slew the basilisk, he told me how he grew up in a muggle orphanage because his muggle father abandoned his witch mother when she was pregnant. He told me again at the graveyard as he performed his ritual where his father was buried, he told me how he killed his father when he was younger and how his death had helped him more than when he was alive." Harry told them all in the same monotone that Veritaserum made everyone speak in.
"Oh my, administer the antidote, I think we have enough."
Bode poured the potion down Harry's throat and the teen blinked a few times and shook his head, he looked around in to the shocked faces of everyone and nearly grinned.
"I have submitted my claim and presented undisputable evidence, I await your decision." Harry said and Amelia's light lit up.
"The wizengamot recognises Madam Bones,"
"Lord Potter, I wonder if you could clear a few things up from what you said under Veritaserum."
Harry nodded, he was hoping she was going to pick out a few things, it would bring a harsh reality check to the world.
"Of course, Madam Bones,"
"Lord Voldemort is, well simply put, a halfblood with daddy issues." She said incredulously and Harry couldn't help it, he laughed, when someone put it like that then it seemed hilarious. He wished he would have said that to Voldemort's face when he was in the graveyard, that would have brightened the man's day for sure and Harry was all for cheering people up; especially someone who had as many issues as Voldemort did. He would have to save it, no doubt the insane psychopath would come after him again and he would deliver Madam Bones' words.
"Excuse me, Madam Bones, I mean no disrespect." Harry said apologetically, once he had calmed down, "But unfortunately is does seem that way and if one were to check the Hogwarts records for '37 to '45 then they would see Tom Riddle, he was a model student, perfect OWL's and NEWT's as well as prefect and head boy. Also, you could simply ask people who attended or taught at the time such as Chief Warlock Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid from those I know." Harry told them.
"Chief Warlock is this true?" She asked and Dumbledore nodded.
"Indeed it is, Madam Bones," Dumbledore seemed really old when he spoke, "I taught Tom Riddle when he was a boy and he was a brilliant student,"
"Thank you Chief Warlock. Lord Potter," Bones turned back to Harry, "One more thing, you mentioned slaying a basilisk?" Harry looked sheepish.
"Ah, well when the chamber was open in my second year, my best friends sister was taken as I am sure you all remember," there was murmurs of agreement, Malfoy had threatened many to remove Dumbledore and when they heard that poor Arthur's daughter had been taken they demanded he return, Harry gave a short nod to Mr Weasley who smiled in return.
"Well, I went down to the chamber with Ron, but we were separated when Lockhart tried to obliviate us. I ended up in the chamber where a memory of Tom Riddle was there with Ginny, he called the basilisk and Fawkes, the headmaster's phoenix, came bringing the sorting hat where I pulled the sword of Gryffindor out and killed the basilisk." Harry explained, rubbing the back of his head as he finished.
A light lit up, a toad like woman was sat there and Harry bit back a grimace, he hated Delores Umbridge with a passion, she worked for Fudge and she was so unbelievably prejudice against anything other than pureblood humans, especially werewolves, that it pained Harry to be in her mere presence and she constantly made him angry. She also had a burning hate for Harry, Sirius and of course Remus, every since Harry shot down her awful proposal for constrictions against werewolves, she hated his guts and made that very clear in the most underhand way possible.
"The wizengamot recognises Madam Delores Umbridge." Dumbledore said and she stood, although this didn't make much of a difference. Harry had to squash down the mad urge to croak as her wide set mouth opened, he was spending too much time around pranksters.
"Lord Potter, it seems to me that you are expecting us of the wizengamot to believe such a farfetched tale," She gave that Merlin awful girlish laugh that made Harry want to hex something, he fought the urge and his eye twitched instead. He was extremely pleased that he was not the only one who looked like they wanted to kill her and Sirius was giving her a look that would have made her burst in to flames if it was infused with magic. "This is a place of dignity and politics, we do not have time for childish stories." Harry's eye twitched again, but this time in anger and he took a deep breath.
"I thank you for your input Madam Umbridge, but let me remind you that I am still under oath to tell the truth and as I am still standing here alive it proves that I am not lying. Also, if necessary I will willingly submit the memory and go under Veritaserum again if you wish. Of course, you could also ask Chief Warlock who will vouch for me or you could have a statement from the goblins about the basilisk they harvested for me this year." Harry said with a somewhat cold smile, Sirius smirked as did Amelia, neither liked the damn toad and she sat down disgruntled.
"That is not necessary, Lord Potter, we are here to evaluate your demand to prepare the ministry of war because of your claim of the return of Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore took over and Harry nodded.
"Of course, Chief Warlock,"
"We have recognised the claim, we have viewed the evidence, we need only make a decision. I call 15 minutes for discussion, Lord Potter you may retake your seat for this time." Dumbledore decided, Harry gave a bow and returned to his wizengamot seat where Sirius came over and gave him a one armed hug.
"Well done pup," he murmured as the others began talking amongst themselves discussing the evidence and the consequences.
"Thanks Siri," Harry said with a smile. Harry looked around to see the nervous faces of people and nodded to himself, he had done his part now, there was nothing else he could do unless it didn't go in his favour. But then, word was still out, he had still shown them that Voldemort had returned and he had also shown them that he was a complete hypocrite. He could do no more.
"This should get them talking," Sirius said, "That bit about Voldemort being a halfblood coming out under oath and Veritaserum was brilliant."
"Old Tommy is going to love that when it reaches him." Harry joked, and Sirius grinned,
"I would hate to be the barer of bad news with him."
"Hopefully it's the rat." Harry growled and Sirius icy eyes flashed,
"I sincerely hope it's the rat." He agreed.
"Let's hope ey?" Harry muttered and Sirius raised an eyebrow,
"About the outcome or the rat being the bringer of bad news?"
"Both,"
They shared smirks before turning back to the wizengamot in wait.
There we go, we have a bit of humour, a bit of seriousness and now we have to wait! Lemme know what you think guys and I'll see about another part!
Jess*